


Thanks for Cattails

by voiceoftheguns



Series: Home is Where the Hearth is Warm [1]
Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gen, Rule 63
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-29
Updated: 2013-11-29
Packaged: 2018-01-02 22:45:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1062543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/voiceoftheguns/pseuds/voiceoftheguns
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Ori meets Bofur, and they draw one another into their respective oddball families. Occurs over a timeline of several months. Modern setting, everyone-is-ladies AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Thanks for Cattails

**Author's Note:**

> Unbeta'd - all mistakes are my own. Rated T for some profanity.
> 
> And as it will become abundantly clear, I know nothing about gardening, unions, or mechanic shops. Eep.

Ori found the garage on one of her walks around the city. It was small, shoved between a warehouse and a corner gas station, but there were cattails in an oak barrel outside its office door and a two-foot tall carved boar standing guard on the door's other side. Curiosity got the best of her.

The garage's lot out front was empty, but there was a Honda filling up at a gas pump and a station employee walking from the car wash to the convenience store. Ori walked cautiously over to the garage office, the sound of a radio becoming clearer as she passed the open garage doors, and a quick glance told her that there was someone working on a truck inside. She walked more quickly up to the door, and studied its boar and barrel sentries.

Cattails. In what could have been an old beer barrel...outside a mechanic's shop. Ori gently pushed the cattails enough to peek inside the barrel, noticing the plastic lining holding in the murky water, unconsciously mimicking her own movements by sweeping back her bangs as well. She was just wondering if the sitting boar were stained or naturally such a color when a cheerful "Why hello, there!" made her shriek.

She whipped around and saw that the mechanic had poked a head out of the garage, and then moved out entirely, waving and smiling. Ori was waving and smiling back before she knew it (Dori's fault, instilling manners so early on, Ori was now hopeless in the fight against propriety's powers) and she nodded nervously in greeting as the mechanic approached her.

"Hope I didn't frighten ya," the mechanic said, still smiling cheerily. "It's just nice to see someone aroun', I've been stuck inside all day."

"It's - er - fine," Ori said, trying not to stare as she realized - the mechanic was a _girl_. Well, a lady. Woman. She didn't look too curvy with those overalls and working boots, wiping greasy hands on a greasier rag, but her voice and long ponytail planted the hint and a closer look at her face gave her away. Ori made a mental note to consider all this later before she said, "I was, uh. Just. Admiring your barrel. The barrel! The...cattails."

The mechanic didn't notice Ori's awkwardness, or didn't care. "Ah, really!" she said, turning her gaze and bright grin on the stalky plant. "Admiring, eh? Tha's very kind of ya. I quite like them myself. Ya know, ya might be the first to comment on them, now that I think of it."

Ori made a face, heard Dori's _tsk_ in her mind, and quickly straightened her features again. "Really? I can't imagine that I'm the _first_ to notice them."

"Well, maybe not the first." The mechanic shrugged. "But yer the first compliment, mind." She lowered her voice and raised an eyebrow, leaning closer to Ori as if to a conspirator and saying, "Our neighbors and associates over there would prefer something a tad more colorful, I think."

Ori glanced at the gas station's convenience store doors, flanked on either side by a trashcan and an icebox. "They're one to talk," she murmured.

The mechanic laughed, and Ori grinned again. Encouraged, she added, "You don't seem to have any fish here, though. It would be a tight fit but they're certainly colorful."

"Oh, but you haven't met Bruce yet!" Leading Ori through the office door, the mechanic pointed to the table that apparently served as reception desk, vacant save for the beta fish in a large bowl. "He's quite the character. Doesn't care much for company, though, so I can't say he'll be joining the rushes any time soon."

"What made you choose those, though? I mean, instead of another kind of plant?"

"Hm, well. The boss wanted to spruce the place up a tad, but she and I and everyone else here all got black thumbs," she said, wagging a greasy thumb at Ori in demonstration. "So, I thought, a pond! Alas, even if we had the funds, there's really no space for it, you see. One tub is all we can do. 

"It looks wonderful," Ori said, and was pleased when the mechanic smiled down at her again. "I, uh. I had better be going, though..."

"No worries there. You have a nice day, lass. And if you come by again, be sure to ask for Bofur, I'd love a chat." Bofur winked, and waved as Ori walked away, the mechanic's infectious grin following her all the way home.

-

She didn't tell Dori about the place yet - Ori wasn't about to go around _asking_ for lectures, now - but she did pass by as few more times in the upcoming weeks, trying to find Bofur at the garage without making it obvious that she was looking for her. Most of the time she couldn't find her at all, and one time she did but hurried on as Bofur stood talking to a customer. Then one day she found Bofur sitting on a plastic chair next to the boar, eating a sandwich and reading the paper.

It was rather endearing, really. Honestly, reading the paper? Ori hadn't thought that anyone really did that anymore, save for older people, and Bofur was older but not _old._

When she got closer, Ori had to laugh.

"The funnies? Any good ones today?"

Bofur looked up and grinned. "Well, technically, these are yesterday's. Did you know, once they're out o' date, they'll actually _give_ these away?"

-

Bofur was addictive in a thousand little ways. After a few conversations, Ori got over her general nervousness around strangers and fell into a comfortable...well, it had to be camaraderie, hadn't it? Bofur told great stories, and was an even greater listener. Whenever Ori could catch her on break or about to check out Bofur would treat her to a half hour of real conversation. It was beyond refreshing, after hours sitting through high school gossip.

Not long after their meetings became more frequent, Ori dragged Dori to the shop.

"Oh, for heaven's - you've been what, now? A shortcut from school? Yes, and that down there isn't another second-hand bookstore that you've not been frequenting. I - you know what I mean. I'll finally get to meet this friend, then. You know I trust _you_ to be responsible in your relationships where are we going? This isn't a bookstore, is this a mechanic's we - we don't even have a car, Ori, my lord are those cattails in an old wine barrel? Why, that's adorable..."

-

When Dori caught pneumonia and missed over a full week of work, Bofur was the one who talked to the manager and saved Dori's job.

Ori called the garage soon after it became clear how serious Dori's condition had become. She knew that Dori would hate asking for help, but Nori was god-knows-where and it wasn't like doctors made house calls anymore and - but Bofur was offering to drive her to the hospital before Ori had even finished explaining, and not for the first or last time Ori sent up a silent prayer of thanks for cattails.

On house rest, Dori remained silent and thin-lipped through most of her recovery. Ori thought that she could guess her older sister's thoughts: nervousness about the medical bills, anger at her terrible boss, frustration at her sick body in general. At one point it occurred to Ori that Dori was even _less_ patient than Nori ever could be, and she had to leave Dori's room to keep from giggling into hysterics.

The dry cleaner's that Dori worked for tried to sneak around union laws to let Dori go, and it was clear that Dori was in no condition at the time to take on her boss (you need patience for this sort of thing, Ori thought wickedly). Bofur, though. Bofur was a union woman as well, and it didn't hurt that she had a natural charm that made people listen.

(There were other things, too. Bofur had told Ori to wait in her Buick while she talked to Dori's boss at the shop, and when Bofur and the boss came out into the parking lot, Bofur sauntered back happily while the man stared nervously at his car. How Bofur knew which car was his, and what she threatened to do to it, Ori didn't want to know.)

That week was also when Ori and Dori met Bofur's sister. Bombur made the _best_ chunky chicken noodle soup, homemade! And with garlic bread so good Ori seriously considered dropping her current career plans and asking Bombur to mentor her.

"This is the best food I have _ever_ had," she said, slurping more curly noodles.

Bombur chuckled. Bofur said, "There's naught quite like a sister's meal, now, is there?" Inclining her head in Bombur's direction she added, "You should help make the next batch, Ori, make it even better!"

Ori considered this for a moment. "Well," she said, "I can try, but I'm afraid that I'm not a very good cook."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because all my cooking 'skills' came from Dori."

Bofur roared with laughter and Dori glared over the table at the both of them.

-

The door to the garage office banged open, and Nori leaned panting against the post with her flannel jacket half falling off one shoulder. 

"Where - " she panted, " - where'smysister?"

The woman sitting by the table, who had been listlessly watching the fish bowl only moments earlier, leaned away from the door. "I...don't know?"

Nori glared at her, or tried to. She was taller than most women and could put on a frightening face just as well as anyone else, but with bags under her eyes and her auburn hair falling every which way out of its braid Nori looked more homeless than frightening.

" _Dori_ ," she hissed. "She's not - at _home_ , and neither is _Ori_ , so _tell me where they are._ "

"I'm just here to have an oil change," the woman replied.

Nori stared at her for a moment before barging out the office and into the garage, barking out her question again.

-

"I can't believe you didn't tell me you were sick," Nori said, eyes shifting between the counter where Bombur was chopping carrots and the table where Dori was calmly sipping tea. "You should have told me."

"I did tell you. I have the email in my sent box to prove it. Besides: I _was_ sick, I _am_ better." _Sip._ "Honestly, there was no need for you to go charging through town like that, not to mention the shop."

"Ah, don't worry, Dori," Bofur said from the pantry. "No harm, no foul."

"But you didn't tell me until late," Nori whined. "And then you follow up with 'By the way here's a plane ticket home'? What was I supposed to think?"

"I only bought you that because you said you had the time off," Dori replied. "You never have time off. I had to take the chance. _And_ , for the last time, I told you that I was well again, so stop shifting the blame. 

Ori walked into the kitchen just in time to hear Dori's last sentence. "Er," she said, "what blame?"

"Nori didn't pack anything," Dori muttered.

"I thought you were _dead_ ," Nori whined.

"Dead and sending emails?"

"Yes!"

"What, not even clothes?" Ori asked.

"Nearly forgot her ID, too, from what I hear!"

"Thanks for your support, Bofur." 

-

Communication may not be the sisters' forte, but they were there when they needed each other...Except when they weren't.

Nori, bless her, couldn't sit in one place long enough to save her life. She was never home anymore, though Ori could hardly blame her for it; Ori was fairly certain that she would be wandering herself once she was able. Not that she ever said this to Dori.

There were a lot of things she didn't say to Dori, actually. Dori could do anything with a perfect poker face, and Nori had had practice with lying for years, but it was harder for Ori to play down bad events or make excuses. She was fairly good at deflecting, though. She could get on about a topic with enough enthusiasm that Dori or Nori or whomever she was talking to would forget the original conflict. It usually worked, for the times when she didn't want to talk about her day.

Bofur was a fresh face, though, and Ori hadn't yet worked out how to distract her.

"Did you know that Edgar Allen Poe died in Baltimore?" Ori said one day after Bofur asked what was wrong. "I hadn't known it before, but I was reading Janet Frame's last book and the narrator said something about it and I looked it up and I--"

"Ori," said Bofur gently. "I would love to hear about Edgar and Baltimore someday. But today I want to hear about you."

Ori stared at her shoes, carefully cared for sneakers that had been in style a year ago and were already outdated but she like them anyway - and she almost started on this tangent before she remembered that Bofur wouldn't be fooled.

"I miss Nori," she said quietly. "She's always so much fun. It's nice to have her around, to lighten things up, make Dori smile. They annoy each other so much but Dori's always happier when she's home.

"Are you happier when she's home, too?" Bofur asked with a kind smile.

Ori nodded, and sniffed. "Nori hates this town, though. She likes big cities. She likes having things to do on weekends. I don't want to make her come back." She looked at Bofur sadly. "She'll come back, if I ask her. Or if Dori asks her because of me."

"Oh, lass," Bofur said. " _You_ don't have to be miserable, either. And honestly, nobody's meant to be that selfless until they're at least out of high school," she added with a mock glare. "But I'll stay quiet, if ya want. Yes? All right then. I'd give ya a nice big hug, but I've been working all day."

Ori hugged her anyway, arms tight around the woman's waist. Bofur patted her elbow and laughed. "Yer never gonna get the grease outta that blouse," she said.

-

There had been a special on old-fashioned donuts at the supermarket, so Ori went by the garage with a box to see if Bofur was on break.

When she stepped into the office, she found someone sitting on the table shuffling through the stack of old magazines. Next to this woman, Ori felt even smaller than usual, and the piercings along the woman's ear coupled with the tattoos on her arms and hands didn't do anything to re-instill Ori's confidence.

But the woman nodded politely in her direction, and shifted so that she could sit in a chair by the desk.

When Bofur came in she grinned at Ori, then turned to the woman, her face flipping into an exaggerated frown. "I'm sorry, Dwalin," Bofur said. "But I couldn't save her this time. Yer just gonna have to buy another fucking truck."

"Liar," Dwalin replied. Ori stared. "Just tell me what parts I need to replace."

"It would be easier if I listed the parts ya _don't_ need to replace. Yeah, I'll do tha'. Here they are." Bofur stared pointedly at her customer.

Dwalin sighed. "Look, I just need her to run for another week or two. I need the bed to help move some shit to the new place - er, sorry," Dwalin added, glancing at Ori. "Stuff."

Neither mechanic nor customer appeared to notice Ori's eye roll. "I can't promise that she won't break down on ya in the middle of a trip," Bofur said. "Just borrow your Ma's truck." Dwalin grimaced. "Okay, borrow Glóin's. Oh for Christ's sake, it's all righ' to _borrow_ things, Dwalin, ask for help once in while."

"I'm asking you," Dwalin replied.

Bofur sighed. "Fine, fine. Give me a minute, I'll see what I can do."

As she returned to the garage, Dwalin sat in the chair by Ori's, slouching in visible frustration. After that exchange, Ori couldn't reign in her curiosity. "It sounded like Bofur knows you," she said.

Dwalin glanced at her. "Yeah, well. My friend's the building owner, technically. Figure, the best way to make sure a business is worth its space is to test it out. I just got to know 'em."

Ori nodded, thinking. "This truck...is it the old blue Toyota? With a dent on its back right corner?"

"Yeah. How'd you guess?"

"Oh, it's in here all the time."

Dwalin stared.

"Uh. Donut?"

-

Another day. Another few dollars.

Bofur carefully shut the front door to her small home and stood still for a moment, weighing the effort of changing clothes and cleaning up versus getting a bite to eat first. It was days like these when she missed living with Bombur, who always had something tasty sitting on the counter. But this place housed only Bofur and Bifur, and there was small chance that anything other than processed cheese slices were available for immediate consumption.

She ended up standing by the door for another few minutes, staring into the kitchen and trying to make some kind of decision. After a moment she realized that Bifur was watching her from the hallway.

Bofur smiled, and tried to relax her shoulders. "Good afternoon, Bee. You're home early."

Bifur nodded slowly and hand signed her response. _Shed needed alone time._ Bifur's woodworking shed, out in the backyard, often seemed to have needs of its own, according to Bifur. _You're tired. No Ori today?_

"No, she - she came by. Dwalin did too, actually." Bofur forced a laugh. "She's still clinging on to that damn truck, though. 

Bifur didn't respond, so Bofur smiled and slipped past her, telling her something about a quick shower before dinner. Bifur stopped her with a hand on her shoulder, and tilted her head in inquiry. Bofur sighed.

"Nothing escapes you," she said. "I guess I am tired. Ya know what little Ori asked me today, after Dwal' left? She asked about what it's like, working in the shop as a woman. Said she wants to work in a man's field, too, but she's nervous. I don' even know what to say to a kid like that. What do ya say to that?"

Bifur shook her head. For a moment Bofur could see back in time, and she was standing next to the person who used to simply be her older, wiser cousin - more like an older sister, who would brush and braid her hair, who made her peanut butter and honey sandwiches for lunch in elementary school. Bifur had always had an ear to listen to Bofur's ramblings. These days their places were reversed, but that wasn't always so bad.

Bofur smiled up at Bifur, said, "That kid's going to grow up fast, is all. Already started." She shrugged. "Anyway. Never mind me. Let me clean up, and I'll make some grub."


End file.
